Thursday, 25 January 2018

This week I am bringing to you a review of some fabulous Pixi beauty products. I have been using Pixi skincare for a while now and my love affair first started with the Glow Tonic which I spoke about on my blog 2 years ago (click here) . So the fact that I still use this product is testament to it's amazingness! Over Christmas Pixi always do fabulous gift sets and I was lucky enough to get one from my sister. This particular one was £35 and contains the Glow Tonic, Polish and Peel, Glow Mud Cleanser and Make-up Cleansing Cloths. I have been using the products for month now so thought I would give your my verdict on my whole collection.

First up we have the Glow Tonic itself (£18). I use this as a toner once a day on a cotton pad. I swipe this across my skin and it literally energises my skin. It contains 5% glycolic acid which is great for removing those dead skin cells and helping the skin to regenerate. It also contains things like Ginseng and Witch Hazel which is where I believe it's spicy smell comes from. With continued use this literally helps the skin restore itself and glow. It's a firm favourite in my routine and I don't see it going anywhere soon! It is usually £18 on it's own so when I saw it included in the gift set I was thrilled.

A few summer's ago I also purchased Pixi Glow Mist (£16). As if I wasn't already glowing enough I knew when it launched I needed it. The Glow Mist is an oil based spray which can be used to hydrate the skin and set make up. This was not part of the gift set and I mainly use this in the summer to give my skin a dewy shine. Once I have applied make-up I give the bottle a quick shake and spray over the fact to give a luminescence to the skin. In winter month's I tend to just spray over my dehydrated skin after I have removed my make-up. I have also been known to spray over my body and hair. Just saying. It contains 13 natural oils and is a concoction of goodness and I definitely recommend.

Now for the rest of the gift set. These are all products I have been using over the past 4 weeks. Firstly the Make-up Melting Cleansing Cloths (£10). No these are not 'wet wipes' they are 'cleansing cloths'. They are packed with camomile and grapeseed oil so literally feel as though you are conditioning your skin while you remove your makeup. When I have used wet wipes in the past my skin always feels so dry afterwards that I immediately wash and moisturise. But with these I literally feel as though I can leave my skin to it as they have removed my make-up as well as repaired my skin.

Within the gift set I also received the Glow Mud Cleanser (£18). Another glow product, Ok yes we are seeing a pattern here. My skin after Christmas was really bad. I had a lot of break outs and redness due to the amount of rich foods I was consuming. So I was hoping by using this it would calm my skin down and I was right. I have been using this 3 to 4 times weekly and the aloe and lavender within has calmed down my breakouts and redness. You can also apply and leave on as a mask which is an added benefit.

The final product in the gift set is the Peel and Polish (£26). I have wanted to try this for ages. The peel and polish is an enzyme mask which is applied to dry skin. You then leave it for two minutes to allow the enzymes to activate and finally rub into the skin like you would an exfoliator and rinse off. The product is intended to act like a peel and resurface the skin. This is just what I needed, as like I said before my breakouts had left my skin quite bumpy. I have been using this twice a week for the past four weeks and literally feel as though my skin is back to normal. I love the fact it tingles a bit when applied as it also makes me feel like it is doing something.

Left: Glow Mud Cleanser Right: Peel & Polish

Left: Glow Mud Cleanser Right: Peel & Polish

So that's it folks. As you can see I am so impressed with Pixi skincare. My collection is only going to grow further. These are genuinely products I have added to my skincare routine and can't see them going anywhere for a long time. One thing I definitely want to try next is Pixi Make-up. So if you have any suggestions please fell free to let know what in the comments below!

Thursday, 18 January 2018

Last week I attended a fabulous event with the Brum Bloggers Group and got to experience a little taste of what it's like to have a personal shopper at Topshop and was introduced to a brand new salon, Bad Apple Hair, that has opened on the first floor of Topshop in the Bullring. We were given a sneak peek into the Spring Summer trends for 2018, so I've decided to share them with you. Make sure you read to the end because there's a treat for you too. Ever fancied your own personal shopper for free? Well it's right at your fingertips.

Firstly with the salon, Bad Apple Hair is already a well established hairdressers with salons in Solihull, Wolverhampton and Walsall. This is the first Bad Apple Hair Salon within a Topshop store and hopefully the first of many. From what I saw from the hairstyles demonstrated on the night, I was really impressed. The hairdressers all showed that they can create cuts and styles to suit all preferences. I think all the styles in the pictures below are lovely and one of the main trends for longer hair was the accessories. So get those ruffles out ladies....and men. No but seriously, around the ponytail a shoelace was wrapped to give it a little quirkiness and I loved how on the shorter hair bobby pins were used to create a accessory to push the hair back. For men, the trends seemed to be hairstyles that could be worn relaxed but also messed about for a bit of dimension. I can definitely see myself going for a bit of shopping and then popping in for a quick hair fix.

Bad Apple use TIGI Bedhead products, we were given some products to try ourselves so look out for a blog post on these soon.

Now for the Personal Shopping. Did you know that Topshop offer a complimentary styling service which is absolutely personal to you. I had no idea this was available. They are tailored to you, whether it's a big event, new wardrobe, a birthday treat or simply some styling advice, you can book yourself in with the personal shopping team and they will cater to your every need. Specific trends that were highlighted to us were pastel colours like ultra violet being very popular. Also A-symmetric designs, such as the skirt below. There was also a nod to the 70's with more flare and wide leg jeans coming into fashion.

Sitting there while the demonstration was going on it occurred to me how much I had let my style go since having kids. I could see a rail full of outfits which in my teens and early twenties I would have been confident wearing. It kind of reignited my love for clothing and made me realise if anyone needs a personal shopping experience I definitely do. I just need that little bit of advice to find my style again. If this sounds like something you would like you can book in with the personal shopping team by visiting Topshop.com, calling 03442435544, or visiting their Instagram @topshop_personalshopping.

So next time you are the Bullring why not go for a spot of personal shopping and treat yourself to a new do at the same time! That's what I am going to do! Have you ever had a personal shopping experience before? If so tell me about it! I would love to know who else offers this kind of service!

Thursday, 11 January 2018

First of all Happy New Year! This is my first post of the year and I intended to take more of a break, however I was just so excited about this, that I only actually took one week off blogging in the end. But anyway, I am back and believe me you are not going to leave disappointed.

I was so lucky to get Charlotte Tilbury's Lip Masterclass (£130) from my sister for Christmas. If you follow me on Twitter you might have seen me repost my sister's photo teasing me. And I was beyond delighted when I opened it as I am a big fan of the Charlotte Tilbury range.

What is it? I hear you say. The Lip Masterclass is exclusive to Selfridges and is a collectionp products that have been expertly put together to create different coloured looks for all skin tones. In her own words, 'Three looks inspired by the magic of three cities.' New York, London and Shanghai.

The first lip look is The Perfect American Sweetheart Lip, it consists of K.I.S.S.I.N.G lipstick in American Sweetheart, Lip Cheat (liner) in Pink Venus, Lip Lustre (gloss) in Portobello. The overall look of the lip when these three are applied together or even separately is a rosey blush pink finish. The lip lustre doesn't have that much pigment to it which makes me think it is for use on top of the lipstick however it can be worn on its own to create a subtle pink shine to the lip too. The formula of the lipstick feels very rich and creamy and is so nice to wear.

American Sweet Heart Lip

The next lip look is The Perfect English Beauty Lip, which consists of Matte Revolution lipstick in English Rose, Lip Cheat in Pillow Talk, Lip Lustre in Seduction. This set is more of a nude bundle and has a slight hint of brown in it. It is actually one of my favourite out of the three, maybe it's because I'm The Perfect English Beauty... or maybe (more realistically) it's just because I'm obsessed with nudes. However I would say I prefer the K.I.S.S.I.N.G formula compared to the Matte Revolution formula, as it's a little more comfortable to wear. But the shape of the Matte Revolution lipsticks make it just perfect to get into the corners of the lips, and to swatch of course! I was also so excited to see the Pillow Talk Lip Cheat as part of the trio as I had been wanting to try this colour for ages. I think I might have to buy the lipstick to go with!

English Beauty Lip

The final lip look is a little bit more dramatic and more suited to evening wear, The Perfect Shanghai Nights Lip. It consists of, Matte Revolution Lipstick in Shanghai Nights, Lip Cheat in Savage Rose, and Lip Lustre in Red Vixen. Out of the three, the Shanghai Nights Lipstick stands out. Such a beautiful deep berry red. Perfect, especially for this time of year. I didn't particularly like the lip lustre, however can see myself wearing it as a gloss over another red lipstick.

Shanghai Nights Lip

Swatches from top to bottom: Shanghai Nights, English Beauty, American Sweetheart.

Overall I can't recommend this Lip collection enough. It might sound like a lot of money, however if you are a Charlotte Tilbury addict then you are actually saving a lot of money by purchasing together. If these were sold alone or even as three individual lip sets it would cost well over £150 so is well worth it. I think there is a good range of colours too. I would have loved to have seen more of a shocking pink colour added to the mix but you can't have it all. I feel like this is just the start of my collection. I'm already in love with her blushers and next up I'm definitely going to be trying Charlotte's skincare. Let me know if there is anything else I need to put on my list in the comments below!